Jeffrey S. Fletcher Jr of Highspire pleaded guilty Tuesday to trying to kill his dog after the canine was partially mutilated and left to die in the woods. The dog managed to pull himself to the road where he was rescued and later euthanized. As reporter Matt Miller writes:

Police said Joshua D. Boyanowski, 32, of Middletown, hired Fletcher to kill the animal after it bit Boyanowski’s daughter in the face. They said Fletcher admitted to taking the dog to a wooded area, slashing its throat and leaving it to die. He claimed he had to cut the dog three times because it kept trying to bite him, police said.

Boyanowski is awaiting trial on animal cruelty charges.

Hartlep said the manner in which Fletcher tried to kill the dog displayed a “lack of empathy” for another living creature. It was unnecessarily cruel, she added, because the local Humane Society will properly euthanize unwanted dogs for as little as $35, depending on the weight of the animal.

A dog “is a living, breathing thing that feels pain.” Hartlep said. “It’s not like a car that can simply be junked.”

3. WHY STORMS AREN’T SUBSIDING IN THE US: The jet stream plunging from the Northwest is keeping a large, high-pressure system off the East Coast. And that’s preventing the tornado-prone weather from moving east and weakening.

5. COURT: KNOX DELIVERED FATAL BLOW HERSELF: The next step could be an appeal to another Italian court. If those judges confirm the American’s conviction, a long extradition fight for Knox is expected.

6. JUSTICES WARY OF UNLIMITED CELLPHONE SEARCHES: The Supreme Court appears ready to reject the Obama administration’s argument that police should be able to make such searches without first getting warrants.

7. WHERE ‘LITTLE GREEN MEN’ ARE STIRRING FEAR: Ukrainians are using the moniker to describe pro-Russian insurgents who dress in green fatigues and whose origins remain mysterious.

8. IRAQI PRIME MINISTER FACING ELECTORATE: After eight years in power, Nouri al-Maliki is enduring sharper criticism from all sides — but he’s still seen as likely to keep his post.

9. WHAT INVESTORS WANT FROM TWITTER: Wall Street is watching to see if the still-youthful company can grow its user base and keep its existing users engaged.

Today’s highlight in history: On May 7, 1789, America’s first inaugural ball was held in New York in honor of President George Washington, who’d taken the oath of office a week earlier. His wife, Martha, did not attend; she was back in Virginia, attending to family business.

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